FAQ's

I'm constantly asked questions about my Paleo lifestyle & wanted to cover a couple basic FAQ's for you today...

FAQ: What is Paleo?
The Paleo diet refers to the hunter-gatherer human diet of our Paleolithic ancestors. During this "cave man" period humans ate meat, vegetables, fruits, seeds, & nuts. 

FAQ: What do you eat?

Modern day Paleo diet followers mimic this same diet so postagricultural western foods like grains, dairy, & legumes are not eaten. Paleo diet followers also tend to stay away from most processed foods (things made in a factory & packaged).

FAQ: Is it hard to follow?
No it's not hard to follow! When grocery shopping stick to the outside aisles. Anything fresh is where it's at!

FAQ: What about when you're with Western Dieters?
Meat, vegetables, & fruits are in the western diet although most people don't eat adequate amounts of these. You can go to practically any restaurant and get a meat/vegetable meal. I would stick with gluten-free options, if you can, at restaurants as those will be the healthiest prepared meals.

FAQ: What is this blog intended for?

I'm using my blog to advocate living the best possible life you can by treating your body well. This means fueling our bodies by eating healthy, natural, wholefoods that it was designed for & to leave the processed, packaged foods alone. Now, I am not saying PLDFW is a cult & you can't have anything in a package ever, but I am saying that it needs to be severely limited. Since the inception of Paleo in my life I have maintained that it is a lifestyle not a cult or a diet. Human beings need to get back to the basics of nutrition as well as fitness. Back in Paleolithic times humans lived extremely active lives via hunting, fishing, foraging, lifting, moving, etc. & in today's modern times humans are mainly sedentary. This means it's up to us to get moving & incorporate some fitness. It doesn't have to be a stringent 6 day a week workouts, but at least some cardio 3 times a week would be a great start.

The science in our diet...

Hey there Paleoans! It's been a while and boy have I learned a lot since my last post. I've been listening to various lectures on low glycemic diets, low carb diets, high intensity strength training, Paleo/Primal diets, etc. I wanted to share a lecture by Dr. Stan Lang that explains in detail how nutrition effects our bodies & why low glycemic diets like Paleo are extremely beneficial. It's a little lengthy, but if you're into seeking knowledge this will blow your mind!

Dr. Lang has put nutrition in a way anyone can relate too, regardless of their level of knowledge in nutrition. Everything we put in our bodies has a direct effect both positive and negative. Moreover, the science explained here is further evidence that a Paleo lifestyle (not a temporary diet) is optimal.

The greatest thing to remember about nutrition is you are what you eat!  I won't overwhelm you with the strength training information yet. Until next time...

Luscious Leg Workout

For the past few weeks I've been hitting it hard at the gym about 6 days a week. 3 times a week I do my leg circuit which consists of:

I've already started seeing a big difference in the definition of my legs plus the lift & build of my glutes! My challenge accepters, who have been hitting the gym with me on the regular, have also been seeing some of these benefits of my leg circuit. So, I wanted to share it with anyone who is getting tired of their own leg workout or just wanted a variation to add into their normal routine. Enjoy!

Meal Planning

One of the best things you can do to keep yourself on track is to write out a meal plan for the week. Here is a printable blank Meal Plan & Shopping List to keep on your fridge:

I use the meal planner for my dinners because I'll take leftovers for my lunches & every morning I make bacon & eggs for breakfast. So I have no need to over-complicate my layout by adding breakfast, lunch, & dinner spots. The convenient shopping list next to your meal plan makes it easier to determine what items you need for what meal & write them down immediately without having to shuffle through papers.

Bottom line is I love making my life easier by being organized & efficient. In turn, I love helping other people's lives easier by helping them be organized & efficient. Voila!

Race For The Cure!

Looks like there's another 5K on the horizon for this Paleoan. I'm registered for the North Texas Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure 5K! It is set in Plano, Tx on June 14, 2014. Visit Paleo Lifestyle DFW's donation site to help the fund the cause or sign up to join me & some friends in the 5K race!

I can't wait to see everyone there & be a part of such a big movement. This is my first race for the cure 5K!

Challenge Accepted!!

My friend has been struggling with weight loss & has decided she wanted to be challenged. She's tired of being tired, feeling sick (frequent migraines, fibromyalgia, allergies, asthma, sinus infections, etc.), & overall she said she's tired of being "fat." In no way shape or form is my friend unattractive or obese, but she is a little heavy for someone her height.

I love her to pieces & I want her to be healthy so of course I enthusiastically offered my help & support! She doesn't want to go full Paleo, but has agreed to a gluten free diet I suggested. So I'm going to track her progress for y'all complete with some recipes she'll be using as well as what physical exercises we'll be doing. We've taken some before pictures & will be doing her before measurements tomorrow using the Paleo Lifestyle DFW measurement chart to the right.

I will also be joining my friend in her journey & will be tracking my own progress as we begin to focus more on lifting than cardio. I can't wait to share our 30 day results!

Exercises so far:
Squats
Lunges
Dead lifts
Rows
Pull ups
Dips
Chest press
Core Leg Lifts (on the stand-up support machine)
5 minute Treadmill Warm-up
15 minute Elliptical Cool-down

We're alternating weight lifting for certain areas. Thursday we did legs, Friday we rested, Saturday I ran a 5K, today we did arms & core, & tomorrow we'll do legs again. We are focusing more on weight lifting than cardio. We spend about 1 hour & 15 minutes - 1 hour & 30 minutes in the gym each time so only 20 minutes of that accounts for cardio. We stick with 3 sets of 15 reps for each exercise. Building muscle will help shed inches & keep your body burning calories/fat throughout the day.

Tough Mudder anyone?

There's an up & coming event here in the USA called "Tough Mudder." So what it is? The Tough Mudder website says: "Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile (18-20km) obstacle course designed to test all-around strength, stamina, teamwork, and mental grit... It's not a race, it's a challenge." The obstacles are swimming through a vat of ice water before you get hypothermia, climbing over walls, walking planks, using Olympic rings to get from one side of a mud pit to the other, jumping over fire, monkey bars, carrying logs, walking on logs, crawling through mud while dodging electroshock wires, etc.

this event is supposed to push you to your limits, test your strength & weaknesses, & bring you closer together with others who love fitness; but is it safe? I personally know someone who completed the Tough Mudder & he survived! He challenged me to do the one here in DFW in October of this year. After doing some research (surprise, surprise) I've decided not to accept this challenge. I guess I'm just not "tough enough." I've run with bulls, but possible hypothermia... count me out! I don't want to live the Titanic in real life. It's your own decision whether you want to risk it, but Robb Wolf's advice is:

1. Paleo Lifestyle DFW ‏@PaleoMichele  9h

   @robbwolf What are your thoughts on the Tough Mudder events?

   
   
   

   
   
2. Robb Wolf ‏@robbwolf  5h

   @PaleoMichele Don't drink the water! Some folks are getting some gut bugs from...problematic water/mud obstacles.
3. 
   

So the answer to the safety question: no! There has a been a few deaths and many hospitalizations as well as the problematic water/mud (& just think of how many people have probably peed in it by the time you get in, yuck...) used in the obstacles as Robb Wolf has pointed out. Participate at your own risk! You have to sign a waiver of responsibility in order to run the race. Does that sound like it's safe? 

Mud & obstacle runs are becoming increasingly more popular so it is safe to assume they are pretty crowded. I've run a few 5Ks & if they are at all crowded like that then I can't see it being the least bit safe as there would be hardly any room for the race/obstacles. When that many people are crowded together it's hard to move & everyone is running over each other. I recently participated in The Great Bull Run here in DFW where it was overcrowded, full of people taking selfies, participants ignoring the race officials that the event was a little on the unsafe side. I was also trampled in the Tomato Royale following the race, but lucky for me I'm pretty spry & I climbed my way out. I had a great time & it was exhilarating, but I wouldn't do it again! If you want to push yourself to the limits then push yourself with a 5K, marathon, half marathon, triathlon, in the gym or at a bootcamp. Stay safe, stay healthy, & reach your goals!